Air-flow regulator for airconditioning systems



Feb. 27, 1940. H. E. DuRs'r l AIR-FLOW REGULATOR FOR AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed oct. 31, 1936 NVENTOR ATTORNEY Feb 27, l940 H. E. DURsT 2,192,007

AIR-FLOW REGULATOR FOR AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEMS Filed OCt. 31, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f5 FQ nnnnnnnuunnnnuunnnnnnn annnunuunnnummnnnnnng@` nnnunnnnnnnnnnnnnunnnn INVENTOR azr 2966215? ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 27, 1940 v PATENT orifice AIR-FLOW `REGULATOR FOR AIR- CONDITIONING SYSTEMS Henry E. Durst, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application October 31, 1936, Serial No. 108,521

f. v `1 claim. y (o1. sis- 106)l The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the construction of air-flow regulators particularly for air conditioning, and it relates more particularly to air-flow 5 regulators of the type adapted to be inserted into an upright duct or riser through which the conditioned air(cooled o-r heated, humidied or dehumidiiied) may be led into the room and by whichnot only the inflow may be regulated but l()` through which. the relative proportioning of inflow into the successive rooms on the same duct may be controlled more accurately.

With the above and other objects in View ,l which will appear more fully from the following l5 description and accompanying drawings, the

present invention consists of an air-flow regulator comprising a generally rectangular frame of a width preferably only a fraction of the width of the duct in which it is to be used, and in- Wardly extending generally horizontal top wall and inwardly extending generally vertical and parallel side walls, and an adjustable panel disposed between said side walls and hinged to the innermost edge of said top wall and generally completely occupying the space between said' two side walls, thereby to form with said side walls and with said top wall an intake chamber Whose mouth or inlet at the bottom thereof and also whose volume may be varied by tilting the hinged panel to various angles; the hinged panel being` at all times connedbetween said side walls in all positions thereof.

For the purpose of illustrating Athe invention, there Ais shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliableY results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities' of which the invention consists can be 40 variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described. y

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 represents a fragmentary perspective View showing an air duct of an air-conditioning system having therein several of the air-flow regulators of the present invention on the different floor levels.

Figure 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents a perspective view of the component parts of the device of the present inl515 vention shown disassembled.

Figure 4 represents a side elevational View of the device of the present invention.

Figure 5 represents a section on line 5 5 of Figure 6. i

Figure 6 represents a front elevational View of 5 the device embodying the present invention.

In the air-conditioning of buildings, particularly dwellings or in domestic building construction, it is customary to run upright air ducts between the partition walls 5 and 5 from floor 10 to floor, as for instance, through the rst oor level 1 and second floor level 8. The device of the present invention designated generally by the numeral 9, includes a hood-like portion designated by the numeral I 0 having side walls I I and I2 '15 and top wall I3 which may be formed in continuation of each other of a piece of sheet metal. The top I3 may be foldedk back upon itself as indicated at I4. The hood It is provided with a pivotally mounted and adjustable inner wall I5 20 having lateral ilanges I6 and Il. At a suitable point near the top of the adjustable outer wall I5, pivot pins or rivets i3 and I0 are provided extending through the flanges I6 and ll and the corresponding side walls II and I2, thereby 25 pivotally to secure the adjustable end wall I5 in the hood. The pivots I8 and I0 are preferably spaced below the upper edge of the wall I5, so that by exerting pressure against the wall l5 above the line of the pivots I8 and i9, the ad- 30 justable wall I5 may be deected inwardly or towards the operator, while a similar pressure upon the wall I5' beneath the pivot line will cause a deflection of the wall I5 in the opposite direction.

Thev flanges I6 and Il preferably rlt snugly 35 between the walls I I and I2, so as frictionally to retain the adjustable wall I5 of the hood in any position to which it may be set.

The adjustable wall I5, together with the side walls II and I2 and the upper wall I3, forms a 40 complete hood for entrapping or diverting air from its flow through the duct Ll. The wall I5 may also be pivoted along its uppermost edge.

The hood I0 is so proportioned with respect to the duct 4, that the cross-section of the hood, when in its fully opened position, will be substantially less than, or will be but a fractional part of, the cross-section of the duct 4. l

The side walls II and I2 and top wall I3 of th hood I0 are preferably provided with lateral 50 flanges 2l, 22 and 23.

A frame designated generally by the numeral 24, is preferably, though not necessarily, formed separate from the hood member I0 with its inner dimensions so as to receive the hood. In the particular illustration herein shown, the frame 24 is formed of vertical members 25 and 26 and horizontal members 27 and 28, each of a generally U-shaped cross-section with the anges 29, 30, 3l and 32 forming a shorter side of the U. In the particular illustration shown, the vertical and horizontal members are also formed separately and are preferably spot-welded together, and provided with nail holes 33, 34, 35 and 36, through which the frame may be fastened to the vertical studding and to the duct. If desired, lateral extensions 3l, 38, 39 and 40 may be provided, preferably formed integrally with either the horizontal or vertical members, and also provided with suitable apertures forfastening to the vertical studding of the wall. This allows for greater variation in the spacing of the studing or permits the frame to be fastened to diierently spaced studs.

The hood i0 ts into theframe 24, as indicated generally in Figure 5, and is preferably bolted or otherwise fastened thereto through the apertures ll and 122 on the flanges 2l and 22 and the corresponding apertures 43 and M on the flanges 29 and 3Q.

A register designated generally by the numeral d5 having the side Walls M and 41 and the top wall 48 and the bottom wall 49 fits into the hood it as indicated generally in Figure 5, and is provided with lateral flanges 50, 5i, 52 and 53 which abut the corresponding flanges 2l, 22 and 23 of the hood and the flange 32 on the frame, and which may be provided with the apertures 54 and 55 corresponding to the apertures il and 42 and the apertures i3 and Ml, for retaining the member 5 in place.

Between the inturned vertical pivot flanges 56 and 5l, a plurality of shutter plates 58 are pivotally secured in a horizontal position. At one end of each shutter, a lug 553 is formed at a right angle, which is pivoted to a common adjustment link Sil which in turn carries a handle 6l projecting externally and which is frictioned by a suitable flat spring 62, so as to retain the shutter in any position of adjustment.

Any suitable grill plate 63 may be superimposed upon the shutters and fastened through corresponding openings B and 65. v

By the air-flow regulator of the present invention, the air-conditioning system is adjusted or balanced from floor to floor or room to room by the adjustment of the hood portion without reliance upon the shutters. Thus, the system is permanently adjusted or balanced through the intake hoods Hl, while the shutters are merely relied upon for temporary control of any individual room.

A number o regulators of the character here described may be inserted into a single duct a different levels; each regulator having. a horizontal cross-section less than the horizontal cross-section of the duct, so that no one regulator will control the entire duct but will merely divert a part of the ow. Thus, the regulatorsmay be considerably narrower than the Width of the duct, or it may be considerably shallower than the depth of the duct as indicated, for instance, in Figure 2, wherein two opposed regulators of the present invention are shown at the same level leading into two different rooms on opposite sides oi a partition wall.

By the novel construction herein disclosed, an

efficient and inexpensive regulator is provided which will be Ydurable and which will be easy to adjust for the permanent adjustment of the airconditioning system, yand which will retain its aforesaid permanent adjustment indefinitely or until readjusted, and will at the same time al- Ways be subject to individual control for every room. y'

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms Without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claim rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is hereby claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A room air-flow regulator of the character described comprising a rectangular frame formed from channel shaped members adapted to receive the marginal wall portions dening the outlet Within which said regulator may be` disposed, a rectangular hood flanged ,at the outer edges thereof mounted within said frame and including a generally horizontal upper vwall and generally vertical side walls, an adjustable air-deflector plate pivotally secured near its upper edge to the side walls of said hood and generally completely occupying the area bounded by said hood walls,

said deector plate being devoid of external L 

